• Houston police used the PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing suspect early Tuesday.
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Houston police used the PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing suspect early Tuesday.
Houston police used the PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing suspect early Tuesday.
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Spikes took out the car's two right tires, but they didn't stop the car from fleeing.
Spikes took out the car's two right tires, but they didn't stop the car from fleeing.
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Houston police used the PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing suspect early Tuesday.
Houston police used the PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing suspect early Tuesday.
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Houston police used the PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing suspect early Tuesday.
Houston police used the PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing suspect early Tuesday.
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Houston police used the PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing suspect early Tuesday.
Houston police used the PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing suspect early Tuesday.
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Police used the recently approved PIT maneuver to end a highway chase early Tuesday in northeast Houston.  A spokesman said the driver was "dancing" and driving erratically and seemed to be "under the influence of some kind of substance."

Just after 1 a.m., patrol officers saw a light blue Mercury Grand Marquis run a stop sign near the Eastex Freeway and Cavalcade, said Houston Police Lt. Larry Crowson. When they attempted to pull the driver over, he refused to stop and led them on a chase along the Eastex Freeway and onto Beltway 8.

The motorist was "driving dangerously," Crowson said. "At one point he started dancing inside the vehicle."

Police coordinated with Precinct 3 constable's deputies to lay out spike strips on the Beltway. The spikes took out the car's two right tires, but they didn't stop the fleeing driver.

Soon after, a Houston officer with PIT training arrived and used the maneuver to nudge the Grand Marquis, stop the driver's car and arrest him. No injuries were reported.

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Houston police started using the Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT maneuver, in November. An officer drives up alongside the fleeing driver and bumps the rear of the vehicle just behind the back wheel. If it is successful, the move causes the fleeing vehicle to spin out and stop safely.

The PIT maneuver is controversial; some in law enforcement believe the move can be dangerous to police and hard on police vehicles. Former Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland told the Chronicle in November that he never adopted the use of PIT because he believed it put police at risk.

Houston officers must have 10 hours of training before they can use the PIT maneuver in a chase.

Crowson said police expect to file a felony charge against the driver for evading arrest. They also planned to evaluate him to determine whether he was under the influence of any substance.